DJI's next gadget launch could be a rugged remote control car

DJI
(Image credit: DJI)

Besides those drones that it keeps building, DJI has been keen to expand into other areas of hardware in recent years, and it looks as though a remote-controlled car could be next off the production line.

That's as per newly filed patents spotted by DroneDJ, detailing a rugged little buggy with an on-board camera – it'll be just like shooting footage from a drone, except from the ground.

According to the documents, the car will come with four wheels that rotate 360 degrees, giving the vehicle the ability to get over the most rugged terrain, and to turn around in tight spaces.

Up on top is a camera that looks similar to the ones used in the Inspire drones. The car is also fitted with a variety of tech to minimize camera shake and to keep footage steady during movement.

DJI patent

(Image credit: DroneDJ)

It's a move that would make sense for DJI, expanding its line of movie-making gadgets while potentially using the same cameras and batteries that it's already making for use in its airborne drones.

Serious filmmakers could deploy a roving remote control buggy and a drone together, enabling them to capture whatever was happening from a variety of different angles.

Another patent uncovered at the same time hints that DJI is also busy preparing another dedicated gimbal device, one which could be used with a variety of other equipment (including a remote-controlled car) for super-stable footage.

Of course, as with all of the patent applications that we feature, this is no guarantee that DJI will ever launch a product like this – but it does give a clear indication of what the company is thinking about developing.

Via SlashGear

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.